Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thankful Food

This was my first white Thanksgiving. Here in Spokane I've had to adjust my climate expectations from the balmy bay area. The snow has been falling since last week more or less, with more to fall over the next three days. It's quite lovely and makes a warm holiday meal that much more satisfying, especially after shovelling a bunch of snow. My biggest worry over the long weekend is that we don't lose power.

Every year about this time I remember a 20/20 I watched many years ago where John Stossel investigated what became of the turkeys that receive a Presidential pardon each year. He was amazed (and so was I) that the ranch they are sent to had very few turkeys enjoying their retirement. These mass bred birds usually die shortly after arriving, most not even able to walk. Why? They have been so hybridized and inbred that they can't survive beyond a year or so. Watching one bird, so oversized, and barely able to walk, I vowed to never eat a typical $.29/lb overgrown bird from the grocery store.

I recently read how most turkeys in the store are injected with saline and flavorings just to cover the usual dry texture and bland taste of these "unnatural" birds. When I've cooked a turkey myself I would usually get a Diestel free range bird or this year it was a Fred Meyer Private Selection Organic. There is now a growing trend to raise the wild varieties of turkey whose numbers are now in some cases close to extinction. The nutritional difference between the wild varieties (what are called heritage birds) and those that are mass raised in feed lots is stark. Not to mention the load of hormones and drugs you get from your "free turkey with a purchase of $50 or more."

Of course our organic bird cost more. But I only do this once a year. So I paid $39 for a 13.5 lb bird compared to $20 for an overgrown behemoth with wings. Would you eat one of these if you had to shoot and clean it and then inject it with flavor enhancers?

What I do... simply put

“Much of today’s medical care simply doles out drugs or invasive procedures to pacify symptoms, ignoring the self-healing power of the body. My goal is to find the underlying causes of illnesses and apply the most effective treatments accordingly. You use the least force necessary to bring about healing.”

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Dr. Graves, a different kind of doctor

Have you had this experience? You go to the doctor for some problem. After a wait in the waiting room and then another wait in a cold exam room, the doctor comes in and chats with you for a few minutes, maybe he or she examines you quickly, then gives you a scribbled prescription. You leave still not quite sure what’s wrong with you. Or, you may even think you have a better sense of what’s going on with you than your doctor. You might be right.

I don’t pretend to know it all, but what I can guarantee you is my undivided attention, to treat you or your child like I would my own family. Together we can explore what is really at the root of your health challenges. Using a detailed approach and the principles of naturopathic medicine I will help you find healing.